Apples and Trees

Chris and I took up tennis recently — or rather, we are laughing our way through learning to hit a tennis ball back and forth across the net and land it anywhere close to inbounds — and I hurt my finger last time we played. As I nursed it back to health, I thought of my dad as I caught myself wondering if my finger was broken and deciding to go the route of taking ibuprofen and waiting a few days before checking with my family doc. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” definitely describes me.

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Taking Flight

One of my favorite photos is from August of 1989. I was moving to college for my freshman year on a hot summer day, all dressed up and inappropriately carrying a leather jacket for some reason known only to my teenaged self. The car was crammed to the seams with all the things I thought I might need, and I was ready to head out. Someone captured a picture of my dad and me, just before I left. We are both smiling at the camera and I remember how excited I was to take off and start this new chapter in my life.

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Lessons from a Pandemic

I tell my children that they will be able to share firsthand stories with their children and grandchildren about a significant piece of history: the pandemic in their lifetime. It gives me perspective for this very interesting time in my own life and helps me slow down and appreciate all that is happening and everything I am learning. COVID19 has made a big impression: in 2020, in the world, in the US, in Kansas, in the healthcare community, in my own work, family and life. Some changes are negative (fear, economic impact, morbidity and mortality). And some are positive. Those useful changes are the ones I am working to recognize, learn from and pivot toward in the longer-term.

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Meadowlarks

This morning, I heard a meadlowlark outside. This bird’s song always makes me think of spring, and of hope. It made me think about all the meadowlarks in my own life, especially those who made such a difference in the last week. You know these folks, too: they build hope using their actions and words, they help us think of spring. We will make it to spring, and summer, and the end of the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks, meadowlarks. Keep singing; we need you.

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House Rules

I am fairly confident my children would describe me as a relaxed parent. I don’t get easily excited and tend to have very few hard and fast expectations. In terms of house rules, I can count them on one hand: don’t use tobacco products, don’t drink and drive, wear your seatbelt in the car and your helmet when you ride anything with wheels, and don’t take juice out of the kitchen.

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Coming Home

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. For all of my adult life, I have preferred the quiet joy that the fourth Thursday in November brings over the hustle and bustle of Christmas. Over the years, my family built traditions that give me a moment of rest in this busy world and resonate with my soul. This year I noticed a new emotion as I think about the holiday: excited anticipation.

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The Space Between the Dots

Things are different when you live half-way between Kansas City and Denver. You can’t pop down the street to a great Ethiopian restaurant or head to the mega-mall for a last minute Christmas gift, for example. And there is no anonymity; news in a small community travels quickly, and everyone is part of the community. The line between patient and friend rarely exists. My home address and phone number are in the phonebook; it wouldn’t matter if they were unlisted because everyone knows where I live anyway. And I’m good with that fact.

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#Gratitude

I started a gratitude journal recently - a reminder to myself that despite some crazy moments, many things in my life are GOOD. After just a day of jotting down people, events and things that I was thankful for, I felt lifted by the task. The list stretched quite long in the ensuing week, and I wanted to share a few of my favorites.

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